KAZAKHSTAN HAS BECOME A CENTER OF INNOVATION AND COOPERATION THANKS TO THE INTERNATIONAL FOODEXPO QAZAQSTAN AND QAZPACK 2024 EXHIBITIONS

From November 13 to 15, 2024, Almaty became the center of international attention, thanks to two significant exhibitions in the field of food industry and packaging: the 26th Central Asian International FoodExpo Qazaqstan Exhibition and the 22nd Kazakhstan International QazPack Exhibition.

The exhibitions brought together 7,361 unique visitors from 43 countries, becoming the leading event for the entire industry. The events became an effective platform for establishing new contacts, as Natalya Trunova, Chief Technologist of Eurasian Foods JSC, said: “I am visiting this exhibition for the first time, and I was very pleased. We found many useful contacts, met new companies, and updated information on those we already work with. It was mutually beneficial communication: we learned about new products on the market, and our partners also got acquainted with our needs”.

Participants and guests of FoodExpo Qazaqstan were able to see the most advanced developments, products and technologies presented by more than 383 companies from 30 countries, including Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Hungary, Germany, Georgia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, UAE, Palestine, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, USA, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, South Korea. National stands were presented by countries such as Austria, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Poland, Sri Lanka and South Korea, and collective expositions were organized by Germany, Chinese provinces and 19 regions of the Russian Federation, including Adygea, Altai Krai, Bashkortostan, Karachay-Cherkessia, Karelia, Kuzbass, Chuvashia, Astrakhan, Vladimir, Voronezh, Kaliningrad, Kirov, Kursk, Murmansk, Nizhny Novgorod, Omsk, Perm, Tambov, Tomsk and Yaroslavl regions.

Such a diversity of participants underlines the importance of the Kazakhstan market for international partners and the growing interest in cooperation in Central Asia. Among the exhibitors were key market players: CIS Market (Kazakhstan), Cerex (Switzerland), Gostol (Slovenia), Fava S.P.A. (Italy), Denozli Ozstar (Turkey), Diosna Dierks & Söhne Gmbh (Germany), Storm Technologies (Kazakhstan), United Trading System (Russia / Kazakhstan), Favorit Techno (Kazakhstan) and others.

The diversity of exhibitors deserves special attention: 61 of them represented Kazakhstan, and 322 were international companies, which demonstrates the attractiveness of Kazakhstan for foreign investors and manufacturers in the food industry. 54% of exhibitors, or 262 companies, took part in these exhibitions for the first time. This confirms the high importance of the platform for new players in the market who see Kazakhstan as a promising region for development. Participants highly appreciated the exhibition’s potential for promoting their products both locally and internationally: “Such exhibitions provide an excellent opportunity not only to promote our products in the domestic market of Kazakhstan, but also to present them in the foreign market. Therefore, we are already planning to participate in this exhibition next year”, Temirkhan Nurmakhanov, Commercial Director of Narlen.kz, noted.

In addition to the extensive exposition, the event included a rich business program. Food Forum Qazaqstan 2024 was organized for all industry professionals, combining educational training sessions, technological seminars, b2b platforms and expert discussions. The forum started with a plenary session “Promotion of the Made in Kazakhstan brand: from domestic reforms to international markets”, where key speakers, including Anuar Beisekov, Deputy Director of the e-commerce department of QazTrade Center for Development of Trade Policy JSC, Dauren Dumanov, Director of the Almaty branch of National Center for Expertise and Certification JSC, Almas Kalkayev, Director of the Representative Office in Almaty of Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan JSC and Valentin Walter, Export Director of Sultan Marketing, discussed strategies for the entry of Kazakhstani products into world markets. This dialogue became the basis for new ideas and initiatives that contribute to the expansion of export opportunities for local producers.

The program included practical master classes from Anna Bakurskaya, a recognized expert in category management. She held such business sessions as “Profit-making art: Assortment management in retail”, “Myths in working with networks. Rules for competent entry into networks” and “How to make AI an assistant in assortment management. Practical digest on using AI in work”. There were also technological seminars from Lubrication Systems and Linde Gas, where specialists discussed innovations aimed at reducing maintenance costs and minimizing energy consumption. A special place was occupied by the retail center, which became a platform for direct negotiations between suppliers and retail chains and distributors in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. The b2b format turned out to be extremely popular: about 1,118 negotiations took place here this year, which indicates the high efficiency of this interaction model.

An equally significant event was the awarding of the winners of the annual tasting competition “Best Product of FoodExpo Qazaqstan 2024”. This year, 27 companies and 42 products were awarded the Gold Medal and Honorary Diploma, which confirmed the high quality of the products presented.

Another significant event within the framework of the exhibition was the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between Vatel Consulting LLC and Iteca LLP on the organization of a joint conference for owners of food production facilities - Pischevka 3D: QAZAQ in the future in 2025. This agreement is aimed at creating effective networking for food industry companies and further developing dialogue between domestic and international market participants.

In parallel with FoodExpo Qazaqstan, the QazPack 2024 exhibition, dedicated to the packaging industry, was held. It was attended by 98 companies from 14 countries, including Belarus, Germany, India, Iran, China, Kyrgyzstan, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, France and Switzerland. Participants presented a wide range of products and technologies at their stands, including labels, finished packaging, packaging machines and technologies, equipment for printing, marking and applying brand marks, as well as packaging materials and auxiliary means for packaging. The debutants were FreshPack Solutions (Belarus), Yrys (Kazakhstan), MarkJet (Russia), Khoperskaya Upakovka (Russia), FinnPak (Finland), Innova Pack (Turkmenistan) and Euro Trade (Uzbekistan). This year, the exhibition area has grown by 20%, which was also noted by visitors to the exhibition: “The exhibition has grown significantly, especially in terms of the range of products and services at the stands, which has now become even more popular and diverse. It is very pleasant to see how responsibly and carefully suppliers prepare for the exhibition: the stands are bright, well-thought-out, and the advertising and presentations are organized at a high level”, Nina Rennikh, TechExpert LLP, shared her opinion.

The FoodExpo Qazaqstan and QazPack 2024 exhibitions have become an important platform for strengthening international ties, demonstrating innovations and concluding new partnerships. Thanks to these events, Kazakhstan is confidently strengthening its position as a strategic market and a key point of attraction for producers and investors from around the world.

The exhibition is organized by Iteca Kazakhstan Company and its international partner – ICA Events Group of Companies.